England were far from convincing in their scrappy defeat of France but the performance answered the questions the head coach, Gary Street, needed before the three-Test series against New Zealand.

Too often England barely need to step out of second gear on the international rugby circuit. They won this year's Six Nations at a canter, scoring 161 points and conceding 12. Street needed serious opposition before the Black Ferns' visit and France provided it on Saturday night.

Trailing for much of the first half, England scored tries either side of half-time through Ruth Laybourn and Joanne Watmore to go ahead before a late Fiona Davidson score wrapped up a victory that belied the almost constant pressure they had withstood. With backs against the wall at many points England held their nerve.

"The performance was not exactly how we would have wanted but some of the questions we needed [answers for] were there for us," Street said. "I needed to see some character in our players before New Zealand and I saw that. France have got a huge, physical team and we needed that challenge.

"We need to be a lot more accurate with our opportunities against New Zealand and, if we have two or three chances, we need to take all of them. It is going to be great to truly test our best XV against their best XV. It will be a titanic battle and one that we will relish."

After exchanging early penalties France created the opening try after eight minutes when Jessy Trémoulière darted over on the left. Despite the centre Amber Reed closing the gap with a penalty, it took until just before half-time for England to break through when Danielle Waterman fed Laybourn and the wing had too much gas for the covering French defence.

Waterman also provided the assist for the second try for the debutante Watmore but France exerted strong pressure that resulted in a yellow card for the flanker Heather Fisher before the replacement Davidson made the game safe after a dart down the blindside.

Just as significant as the result for Street were the performances of Fisher, Fran Matthews and Jane Leonard, who were making their first international appearances after lengthy injuries. For Leonard, a corporal who toured Iraq in 2007, the wait lasted two and half years. Not all players recover from an anterior cruciate ligament injury never mind two but the prospect of wearing an England shirt again pulled the flanker through.

"It was fantastic to be back, I did not want it to end," Leonard said. "It crossed my mind after the second injury that I might not get the chance again.

"There's no feeling I have ever experienced that matches putting on an England shirt, singing the anthem and going out there and playing. Through all my rehab and the downers I thought it was still there and I can taste that again. All the sacrifices have been worthwhile for that feeling."